How to spot a fake antique

Spotting a fake is one of the hardest things to learn in the antiques trade. Only experience and knowledge will see you through this minefield.

Advice

Drawing on more than 20 years' experience in the salesroom, Michael advises you to:

Always know your product.

Study the item and look for obvious signs of ageing.

Read the catalogue description closely. If the description reads "in the style of" or "after", the item is a reproduction.

Consider the material, the craftsmanship and style variations to try and spot whether an object is a fake.

Look at the price and think about why they might be offering it to you at such a good price... is it a bargain or just a fake?

Top tip

Michael's top tip for spotting a fake is:

if the value of an antique is high or very popular with collectors, there will always be someone out there who will try to copy originals so they can profit from someone's lack of expertise.

This is not a 20th century invention. Even in the18th century, copies were being produced, so most importantly 'buyer beware', you need to do just as much research and be on the look out with antiques as with modern collectibles.

Some pottery makers will strike out their factory mark in some way. That would mean it is a factory second and will be priced a lot less than a perfect example. This is just one thing to be aware of when viewing a lot in the auction sale.

It may be worthwhile visiting a shop that actually sells reproduction furniture to familiarise yourself with what these pieces look like. You could also try talking to the sales-person to glean a few tips on what to avoid when it comes to fakes.

Why not try joining a collectors club? As this is a great way to get to meet people who are interested in the same things as you, and is a fantastic place to pick up advice. Also from listening to some of the stories you'll be able to avoid making similar mistakes.

One thing to watch out for, is whether or not your seller offers you a receipt. Authentic sellers ought to provide written documentation that states the age of the object and the price you paid for it.

Furniture

Examine for signs of genuine wear and patina of age.

Try to determine the method of manufacturing used to create the item and consider whether this is consistent with the claimed age of the piece.

Consider the type of wood used; if the colour of one part looks very different, it may be a replacement.

Are there signs of repair or refinishing?

Think about how it smells; does the interior of the chest of drawers you're looking at smell old?

Wood shrinkage is a sign of authenticity.

Synthetic Ivories

Keep an eye out for these "faux ivories" names: 'celluloid', 'casein', 'French Ivory', 'Ivoride' or 'Ivorine'. With fake ivory, the grain patterns are added, so look out for very regular patterns as genuine ivory is more irregular.

However, spotting fake ivory is often extremely tricky, sometimes a chemical test is required to make the differential.

Since 1865, when it was first invented by Alexander Parkes, celluloid has been used as an excellent ivory substitute. Casein has also been used. Names for these "faux ivories" include French Ivory, Ivoride, Genuine French Ivory, Ivorine, etc. Both grain patterns and the engine turned effect are added and, in general, the patterns of these are very regular in the fakes and more irregular in the real thing. In instances of very good imitations (ie, using celluloid), chemical tests are required to tell real ivory and fakes apart.

Silver

Silver is a great investment and it's very hard to fake.

There is a very simple way to tell if something is genuine silver - by smelling it! Try smelling an item that you know is silver and then you'll get the idea.

If silver jewellery has a small gold tip on the clasp, it usually means it is platinum.

China

Look for authenticating watermarks.